Magnolia House is the first of its kind in the UK. It is a unique facility that provides a calm and therapeutic environment for end-of-life care and bereavement services at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
PHD worked closely with the Trust and bereaved families to develop the design through a series of workshops. As the families kindly shared their experiences with us, we gained insight into what the building should provide and look like. Understanding that it is common for bereavement services to be provided in unsuitable, stark clinical spaces, we set out to break this mould, creating an altogether more suitable environment.
The completed facility is a stand-alone building located within a quiet and secluded courtyard at the Hospital. The exterior and interior have been designed to provide an environment very much separate from the hustle and bustle of the main hospital. The family and therapy spaces are grouped around a private reflective garden, allowing a quiet external space to be used.
The project was ultimately a great success; however, as the first of its kind, there was no template or standards to follow. By working with the bereavement team and the families we developed a spatial brief to suit the need of service being provided.
Given the hospital setting, our goal of achieving a homely environment challenged us. We worked collaboratively with Hospital Estates and Infection Prevention Control teams to develop a design that met their requirements but also would be supportive and calming for families and staff using the facility.
As charitable donations solely funded the project, the budget was tight with high aspirations. Every space had to be carefully considered and designed to maximise its potential.
We looked to achieve a high standard in sustainability, creating a thermally efficient envelope and utilising a suitable pallet of materials, including the first green roof at the hospital.
